Phoenix Rising Issue #3 - S. R. Watson Page 0,4

see you bought Coke too. I forgot about the soda. Can’t get a sugar high without the soda,” she muses.

“Yeah, except that’s special soda.” She takes a sip, and her entire face scrunches.

“That’s strong as shit. What is it?”

“It’s my good friend Jack. We’re working on getting better acquainted, starting tonight.”

Lily takes another smaller sip this go-round. “Jack needs more Coke.”

“Here, you wuss,” I chide, passing her the bottle of Coke. “I’m chasing mind-numbing effects here, so I need more Jack.” She pours a little of her drink into my cup, so she can dilute her own with more soda.

The movie begins, and I can already feel myself relaxing. I may have just found my solution to dealing with Asher. So what if it’s in the bottom of a liquor bottle? Moderation is key. I’m still holding out hope that our pretend truce can evolve into a real one. Until then, I will stay out of his way just as he’s asked.

A few times during the movie, my mind drifts to Phoenix, but I don’t have a solution for him yet. Partly because I don’t know what to expect once he returns. Will he return? What’s going to happen with their father’s company? Will that crisis put more strain on the group? I don’t know anything. Lily gives me some comfort, but what happens when she’s back up Asher’s butt? For now, I’ll just focus on working on their story for my novel. I’m counting on Jack and my work to get me through this initial uncertainty.

Chapter Two

Harlow

Tonight, the boys are performing for a sold-out Houston crowd, and there is still no sign of Phoenix. Lily and I watch the monitor in the dressing room as the lights begin to flicker on the stage, and our guys appear through the smoke. Desiree paces a few steps behind us for the hundredth time. Her Louboutin heels are getting a workout. To say she is on edge over this performance is an understatement. Her phone rings, but she quickly silences it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying her uneasiness just a tad. She just gets under my skin with her fake niceness. I have no doubt Sevyn can pull off this stand-in for Phoenix. They’ve managed to fool the band during their many switches before … Hell, I’ve even fallen for it. The crowd is already screaming down the house, and I’m sure they’ll be none the wiser.

I take a sip of the amber liquid swirling around in my glass—Macallan 18, two fingers, neat. No Jack tonight since they’ve splurged on the good stuff—whoever “they” are. The music begins eerily slow, hypnotic yet enchanting. Who in the hell is playing the piano? This is new. I look closer and see Killian sitting behind the piano with his guitar strapped behind him.

“One way or another, I’m going to find you,” Sevyn’s voice pierces through the building tempo like verbalized sex. If sex was a tone, this would be it. Orgasms delivered musically. I barely notice Desiree’s pacing come to a halt until her hand is resting on our shoulders. Lily and I look at each other, but she puts a voice to what I know we’re all thinking.

“Holy shit, he’s good. Better than good,” she gushes. “How can he sound so much like Phoenix, but not? It’s something else in his voice that I can’t put my finger on.”

Lily and I nod in agreement. Her phone rings again, and this time, she takes the call. She looks at us and holds up one finger before stepping outside the dressing room.

“Important business, I guess,” Lily comments. I just shrug. I couldn’t care less.

We get lost in the guys’ performance once more. I agree that Sevyn sounds a lot like Phoenix, but you can make out the subtle differences when you know it isn’t him up there. His tone is more sultry and glides over the notes like foreplay. Even now, as he teases the crowd with his bedroom eyes and unspoken promises to rock their world, you just know he hasn’t even started yet. I bet he has a whole arsenal he is just waiting to unleash.

Although I did hump his leg once at a movie theater when I was at a low point, he’s not the twin I want. My heart irrevocably belongs to Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate musical talent and his ability to fuck the notes with his voice. Phoenix is as equally skilled, but